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57
two companies, the Chelsea and the West Middlesex. The
average amount of water supplied daily to each house was,
Chelsea, 233 gallons, and West Middlesex, 159 gallons. The
maximum amount of organic pollution in the Thames waters was,
*36 per 100,000 parts of water in December. The organic
elements consistedchiefly of organic carbon. Of the waters
supplied from the Thames, that delivered by the Chelsea
Company was the best. The average proportion of total combined
nitrogen in 100,000 parts of Thames water was .291 parts.
The average hardness of the Thames water delivered in
London was 19.5 parts in 1877, and 20.3 parts in 1878.
Owing to the frequent and heavy floods the river waters were
frequently much polluted and very difficult to filter.
METEOROLOGY.
The mean reading of the Barometer was 29.75l inches. The
highest temperature by day was 85.8 Fahrenheit in June. The
lowest temperature by night was 12°2 Fahrenheit in December.
The mean temperature for the year was 49°6. Rain fell on 166
days. The total rain fall was 29.0 inches.
DISINFECTING APPARATUS.
After long consideration your Board decided to erect a disinfecting
apparatus and chose the Stone Wharf, Chancellors,
for the site. Much opposition was offered by the inhabitants.
In fact, a public meeting was held with the view of
petitioning you not to erect the apparatus in that locality. No
evidence being offered that injury was likely to be occasioned,
your Board persisted in the original intention. I am able to
state that no case of infectious disease has been traced to the use
of the apparatus. About 780 infected articles were disinfected in
the course of the year. The resultshavebeen mostsatisfactory. No
case of disease has been known to occur after using the articles,
showing that the process of disinfection has been complete. No
complaints have been made that the articles have been injured
through the process, although they are exposed to the vapour
of sulphurous Acid gas, at a temperature of 250 deg. Fahrenheit,
for three hours. The estimated amount saved by disinfection,
instead of burning, was £624. The apparatus having
been in use only nine months, has already more than paid for itself.
The original expense was £280.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
N. C. COLLIER,
Medical Officer of Health.
Copstone House, Hammersmith.